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CSU regular council meeting discusses refugees, health care

The CSU held its regular council meeting on Feb. 10, with issues such as student tribunals, co-op housing and student health care on the docket. All resolutions passed with no votes against and sparse abstentions.

The first issue seen by the council was the proposal of a new fee-levy. The Concordia Refugee Initiative (CRI) came to council to ask for their new proposed fee-levy to be put to referendum in the next general elections. They were asking for 37 cents per credit per student in order to create a centre that would assist refugees, including a job bank and access to legal aid.

In addition, the council also discussed the co-op student housing project, which will have the CSU assist financially in creating affordable housing for students—the first initiative of its kind in the province, according to general coordinator Terry Wilkings. Council also voted to give one of its seats on the Concordia Council for Student Life (CCSL) to Sustainability Concordia, and to increase the budget cap for student health insurance. Motions suggesting to add referendum questions opposing Energy East Pipeline and other similar pipelines also passed. The CSU also agreed to defend international students should they see the price of their tuition jump in the next academic year, as was reported by La Presse. Council also voted to purchase healthy and sustainable food for their meals at meetings.

Student tribunals were also discussed, but behind closed doors: the CSU went into closed session, and the general public and media were not allowed to be present for the discussion. The meeting had previously gone into closed session to discuss the sensitive details of the co-op housing project as well.

Further details will be available in the upcoming issue of The Concordian.

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